LIV Golf Michigan Team Championship: Semifinals Match Recaps

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LIV Golf Team Championship Michigan: Semifinals Highlights | LIV on FOX TEAM SCORES

PLYMOUTH, Mich. – Saturday’s Semifinals at the LIV Golf Michigan Team Championship proved to be another dramatic day of match play. After multiple matches came down to the end, it was Legion XIII, Crushers GC and Stinger GC moving on to Sunday’s stroke-play final.

Coming into the Semifinals, HyFlyers GC looked to be the underdog poised to make a run to the title, but they were narrowly defeated by No. 1 seed Legion XIII. Captain Jon Rahm set the tone by beating HyFlyers GC Captain Phil Mickelson, 3&1. Cameron Tringale improved to 7-0 in singles match play on LIV Golf by defeating Tyrrell Hatton, who has fallen to 2-1 in singles over the past two seasons. The young pairing of Tom McKibbin and Caleb Surratt came through for Legion XIII for the second straight day, beating Brendan Steele and Andy Ogletree, 3&1.

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Crushers GC and Smash GC were in a tight match all the way through, with Crushers GC eventually coming out on top. Captain Bryson DeChambeau chose to play Talor Gooch rather than Smash GC Captain Brooks Koepka. After the selections were made on Friday, Koepa said, “I don’t know what [DeChambeau] was afraid of.”

The decision paid off as DeChambeau beat Gooch 1 up with both players playing extremely well.

“He’s a grinder and a fighter, and I know he’s a battler,” DeChambeau said about Gooch after the match. “Hat’s off to Gooch for his play. It’s tough to play against him. He’s a great wedger, a great putter. I was scared all day for sure.”

Koepka defeated Anirban Lahiri, 1 up. With the match tied 1-1, it came down to the foursomes, with the Crushers’ new foursome duo of Charles Howell III and Paul Casey winning 2 up over Jason Kokrak and Graeme McDowell.

Stinger GC, the lowest seed (7th) to get into the finals, had the crowd roaring and defeated Torque GC. Mito Pereira put the pressure on Branden Grace early by making birdies on three of his first four holes and eventually beat him 4&2. Dean Burmester, who led the field in birdies on Friday, continued his strong play by holding off LIV Golf’s all-time wins leader Joaquin Niemann, 2 up.

“I was obviously 4-up with seven or eight holes to go, and I knew I had to still hit good shots,” Burmester said. “He’s a class player, and he proved it. He made five birdies in six holes there, and I obviously didn’t. Got us all down to the last hole.”

LIV Golf Team Championship Michigan: Semifinals Highlights | LIV on FOX

The dynamic duo of Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel took care of business against the strong pairing of Sebastian Munoz and Carlos Ortiz, 2&1. Oosthuizen and Schwartzel have a long history of being paired together in match play, dating back to the 2013 Presidents Cup.

In the consolation matches, Ripper GC defeated RangeGoats GC (2-1), 4Aces GC defeated Majesticks GC (3-0) and Fireballs GC defeated Cleeks Golf Club (2-1).

In Sunday’s final round, all twelve players from Legion XIII, Crushers GC and Stinger GC will go off the first tee, with all four scores counting to see who will be crowned as 2025 LIV Golf Team Champions.

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